Coonan family, Albert Court, South Dublin, family church St. Andrew's

Hi,

I have uploaded my working file that I jot down in rough as I work on the data I collect. I have used Ancestory, Find my past, the Irish Census Sites, Parish records, etc. Been doing my research for about 15 years now. I found that asking family was more of a hinderance than help as often what they had been told was wildly incorrect. I tried to find Ellen Coonan nee Tracey details but could not. I find that dates of birth on the Census can also been wildly out. I look at who was in the house at the time and their education level. My Grandfather, Michael Joesph Nolan (son of John Nolan who married Mary Coonan) was living with the Coonan's during the 1911 Census and as he was working as a book keeper in the docks, I took what was reported then as accurate. He later became a doctor at the age of 40 and emigrated to Great Britain. This is where I was born, being the first Nolan born outside of Ireland. My grandfather was living with his Grandmother Coonan because both his parents had died. As a family we have lost contact with living Coonan's (nobody seems to know where they all went) but not the Rigney's, one of whom my Grandfather married. The Rigneys were very much involved with the Easter Uprising and the Civil War in Ireland. I have all of my Great Uncle's Military records from this time as he had to prove he had been shot, on active duty and suffered during the hunger strikes in Mountjoy jail. I have copies of the affidavits from survivors of these conflicts, done on authority of the Irish Government. So plenty on certain bits of history but 1850's backwards seems to cause a problem. I have even had my DNA done, which found family in USA, but we cannot link up during that same time period. This is dispite our branch of the Clan being very unique, DNA wise. One also has to remember that living in Great Britain I have been subjected to the racialism that my Grandfather encountered when he came here. It may seem only mild, but I encountered extreme religions barriers, which I feel, have cause my family to distance themselves from their Irish past. So nobody talked about the family at home in Ireland and now there is only one Nolan (an aunt, 93) left alive to ask.

I will try that O'Brien link and see what I find.

Many thanks for you help and suggestions.

Brian

Hi Miriam,

this information has been most helpful and I am busy investigating war records, etc. as time allows.

Many thanks,

Brian